United Against Poverty teamed up with Southern Eagle Distributing recently for its Burgers & Brews kickoff party with the Budweiser Clydesdales which attracted nearly 1,000 spectators to Riverside Park.

The event featured live music, a kid’s zone with bounce houses and fun activities as well as food vendors, beer tents and more. The horses paraded around the park and then were available for families to view after the procession.

Anheuser-Busch horse handler Rudy Helmuth shared his excitement, “I travel the country three hundred days a year and there is something special about Vero Beach. Seeing a community come together to support such a great cause is heartwarming.”

Everyone was thrilled to meet “Bud” the newest addition to the Budweiser Family; a five-month-old Dalmatian puppy who made his debut appearance.

The kick-off party, supported by Southern Eagle and the Peter W. Busch Family Foundation, was held to raise awareness about United Against Poverty’s upcoming Burgers & Brews fundraiser. That event will be held June 30, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. in downtown in Vero. Proceeds from the event will help support families living in poverty.

“On any given day, we serve more than 600 needy families in our county,” said UAP executive director Annabel Robertson.

UAP founder Austin Hunt also shared his appreciation, “We’re grateful for the support we’ve received and thanks to you, look at this place, you can’t put a value on this. So many people here today. Incredible.”

The Peter W. Busch Family Foundation presented a $2,500 check in support of needy families served by United Against Poverty.

Philip Busch president of Southern Eagle Distributing responded, “I promise you, from our leadership, we believe 100 percent in giving back to our local nonprofits as long as our money is going right back in our community – that’s all we truly care about. It’s a good thing!”

For more information about the upcoming Burgers & Brews or to learn how to support United Against Poverty, please visit upirc.org.